5 Minute Savory Microwave Breakfast Mug

Ever since making my 5 Minute Microwave French Toast Mug a couple of weeks ago, I’ve wanted to try a savory version (because I’m alllll about savory breakfast). I’m about to go out of town again and desperately trying to use up the last few leftover ingredients in my fridge before I go, so I thought now was a good time. For this savory microwave breakfast mug I used some left over French bread, leftover rotisserie chicken, a handful of baby spinach, and a little shredded cheese. It’s so simple, but so extremely satisfying! It’s like a single serving breakfast strata!

What I think I love the most about this dish is that you can use just about any meat, vegetable, or cheese that you have on hand. I used rotisserie chicken, but you could use just about any deli meat in its place (or leave out the meat all together). For vegetables you could use frozen broccoli (chopped fine), frozen spinach, mushrooms, green onions, diced bell peppers, or even a couple grape tomatoes. I happened to have cheddar on hand, which makes a nice color contrast, but you could do something like feta, shredded Parmesan, smoked gouda, or pepper jack. There are just so many options. If you think about the flavor themes that restaurants do with omelets, you could do the same themes with this savory microwave breakfast mug (think mediterranean, southwest, Denver, garden, etc.).

I decided not to price out this recipe because I was using such small quantities of ingredients and they were all leftovers, so it would be nearly impossible to get even a general price estimate. But, I think the idea of re-using leftovers for a new meal is important enough to stand on its own. :)

5 Minute Savory Microwave Breakfast Mug

5 Minute Savory Microwave Breakfast Mug

Use the leftovers in your fridge to make this delicious and filling 5 Minute Savory Microwave Breakfast Mug. Fast and easy!

Prep Time4minutes

Cook Time1minute

Total Time5minutes

Servings1

Ingredients

1cupstale bread pieces*

1/4cuppre-cooked chopped meat

1/4cupfinely chopped vegetables

2Tbspshredded cheese

1Tbspbutter

3Tbspmilk

1largeegg

Pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

Tear or cut the bread into 1/2-inch pieces. Chop the meat and vegetables into small pieces. Shred the cheese.

Add the butter to the bottom of a large mug (10-12oz.) and microwave on high for 20 seconds or until it is fully melted. Whisk in the milk, egg, salt, and pepper with a fork.

Stir the meat, vegetables, and cheese into the milk and egg mixture first, then gently fold in the bread cubes until they are fully saturated.

Let the mug sit for one minute to fully absorb the liquid, then microwave on high for about 90 seconds, or until the center is solid and it has begun to pull away from the mug around the edges. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

*The stronger the bread, the better. Don't try to make this with soft sandwich bread. Tear or cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes.

Step by Step Photos

Tear a couple slices of stale bread into 1/2-inch pieces, or about 1 cup of pieces. Finely chop about 1/4 cup of meat (I used rotisserie chicken) and 1/4 cup of vegetables (I used baby spinach). Shred about 1/4 cup of cheese (I used cheddar).

If you’re unsure about how much bread to use, go ahead and put the bread pieces in your mug. They should come almost all the way up to the top when placed loosely in the mug (don’t pack them in, there needs to be room for the other ingredients).

Set the bread pieces aside, then place 1 Tbsp butter in the bottom of the mug. Microwave the butter for about 20 seconds, or until it is melted. Whisk in 3 Tbsp milk, 1 large egg, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Stir the dry ingredients into the milk and egg mixture, starting with the meat, vegetables, and cheese. Fold the break pieces in last so they don’t begin to break apart when they soften from the liquid. Let the mixture sit for about a minute to fully absorb the liquid.

Microwave the mug on high for about 90 seconds, or until the center is solid and the sides begin to pull away from the mug. Every microwave is a bit different, so you may need to experiment with the timing.

And that’s it! In just 5 minutes you have a totally delicious and filling Savory Microwave Breakfast Mug AND reduced your food waste. :)

26 comments on “5 Minute Savory Microwave Breakfast Mug”

Made with with pepperoni , arugula, cheddar and some parsley. I imagined some pizza sauce might be good over the top but I didn’t even end up trying it! It was good how it was. It’s a good savory mix between and omelet and French toast. Filling and delicious!

Wow! I have now made this two morning in a row, and it is officially my favorite weekday breakfast! Super fast and delicious! Tomorrow, I am going to try to mix it up at home, and let the bread soak up the egg while on my morning commute, and see if it holds up.

Yesterday, I made this in a mason jar instead of a coffee cup, and I would not advise that. The straight walls create a tunnel, and as any air gets trapped underneath expands and causes the egg bread to rise. I sat there microwaving in 5 second intervals to stop it from flopping out of the jar.

Hi! I’m Beth

As a food lover and a number cruncher I've decided that cooking on a budget shouldn't mean canned beans and ramen noodles night after night. Join me for delicious recipes designed for small budgets. More »